


28 Days of Dates - Valentine's Mini Event

by ModernDayArachne



Category: Haikyuu!!, Naruto, Rocky Horror Picture Show, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia, 文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs
Genre: Angst, Chronic Pain, Dazai-Typical Suicide Mentions (Bungou Stray Dogs), Dazai-Typical Suicide References (Bungou Stray Dogs), Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Medical
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-13 05:35:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 19,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29148306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ModernDayArachne/pseuds/ModernDayArachne
Summary: Each chapter a new "date." Each day a new encounter.Doing this as part of an event for a Discord server I'm a part of, so don't take things too seriously (or do if you want).
Relationships: Reader x Character
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	1. First Date

_ Anxiously checking your phone for what must have been the millionth time, even though you really didn’t know what you were seeing on the screen. You ran your fingers through your hair and smoothed your shirt, putting your phone back in your pocket. Less than a minute later, you pulled the phone back out to fidget. You paced in front of the restaurant, waiting for his iconic hat to come into view. He was running late, or that’s what his last text said. You would head out if he wasn’t here soon, though.  _

_ “ _ Too bad, I wouldn’t have minded eating out tonight as long as it was with someone, _ ” you mused. _

_ A familiar voice piped up behind you. “ _ What are you doing counting me out just because I’m a couple of minutes late?” _ Chūya queried. He tipped his hat to you, pushing open the heavy wooden door. He nodded for you to follow him, his gray eyes glinting like steel and a sharp smile on his face. The restaurant was loud, playing rough and bawdy songs, diners talking to people at other tables, drinks flowing freely. _

_ Placing his gloved hand on the small of your back, you hoped he didn’t notice your anxiety. Chūya guided you towards a quieter spot in the restaurant towards the back. At the table, you moved to take the seat facing towards the door. He huffed but pulled your chair out for you and, spinning on his heel, hung his heavy outer coat over the back of his chair. You glanced up at the hat adorning his head.  _

_ “Nah, darlin’. The hat stays on. Now, order whatever you want. Tonight’s date is on me,”  _ he smirked, slowly regarding you up and down, as though eating you with his eyes alone. You were entirely enthralling and he appreciated the change of pace from the horrors of the Port Mafia. He already wanted more of you, could already smell the sandalwood you used as perfume. You captivated him and he was entranced. Not bad for the start of a first date. Not bad at all. _ _


	2. Movie Date

_ You were exhausted, but excited, pacing outside of the theater. Dabi practically appeared, silently moving towards you, putting his hands on your hips as you were finishing one circuit of your pacing. You jumped in surprise, and he chuckled in your ear. “ _ What is this, Little Mouse? What are we planning on doing here?”  _ he questioned. _

_ You were quiet when you showed him the prized tickets, an excited smile lighting up your face.  _ “We’re going to see the midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and I. Am. Stoked,”  _ you said, emphasizing your last words with a grin.  _

_ He looked at you as though you had 3 heads - not the reaction you were expecting. “ _ Really, Mouse? This is what you wanted to do?”

_ You were sheepish as you nodded your head, your hands falling to your sides as all your enthusiasm deflated. You sighed, having expected this reaction, even though you hoped that it wouldn’t have come to this.  _ “I invoke my right to choose one date for this week. I know it’s dumb, but at least I’m not making you go to something else ridiculous,”  _ you whined, knowing that you had him wrapped around his finger and he couldn’t ignore the invocation that you two had agreed on when you were getting serious.  _

_ Dabi sighed, running his hand through his hair. “ _ I think you forget what I look like, Mouse.”

“Absolutely not! You’ll fit right in, I promise,” _ you smirked, knowing what he was getting himself into and feeling the tingles of excitement return. “ _ Please, you won’t be disappointed,”  _ you begged in a higher pitch than normal. _

_ Sighing again, Dabi nodded, knowing that you had invoked your right to choose a date and trusting your decision. You opened the door to the theater, intertwining your fingers with his warm hands, and pulled him through. You were so excited to get into the theater showing the movie that you missed the small smile that crept onto his face. It was the least he could do to allow you the small joy you got out of this, even though he had to pretend to be stubborn and not wanting to do it. It made you all the more excited and you rarely got so eager about something, especially something like this. _

_ After the movie let out, you leaned on Dabi’s shoulder. “ _ See, didn’t I tell you that you would fit right in? You had a good time right?”  _ you pleaded, the tiredness starting to overtake the adrenaline that had been rushing through you. Dabi wrapped his arms around you, drawing you close to his chest and guiding you on the path that would lead you home. _

_ “ _ Of course, Little Mouse - I was with you, wasn’t I? That’s all I need for a good time,”  _ he muttered as he kissed your forehead.  _ “It was a great time and I won’t even hold the fact that you invoked your choice against you,”  _ he clarified, erasing all your worries and doubts and making you smile into his chest. _


	3. Skate Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An accident at the skating rink leads to SFW sweetness.
> 
> Modern Day Arachne#4066

You sighed as you slumped against the bed in the emergency room, the seconds ticking by as the clock slowly marching towards midnight. Closing your eyes against the fluorescent overhead lights, you cradled your non-dominant wrist carefully and ensuring that there was limited movement. You just knew that going skating was a terrible idea, but you wanted to show-off and ignored the tension that had grown in your stomach as the date approached. And you were paying the price of ignoring that instinct that told you that you should have rescheduled or asked to do something else, literally anything else. You were waiting for the results of the x-rays to see if you had a broken wrist or if it was just sprained. Either way, it had already been a long night and you felt so awful that Kuroo had seen you like that. At least he hadn’t appeared nonplussed about the situation, providing some basic first aid before carting you over to the emergency department to get your wrist checked over by the doctors to make sure that everything was hunky-dory. You smiled gently with the memory of the skating, though, right up to the pain of falling and hurting your wrist. It was oodles of fun, from grabbing early dinner to going to the skating rink and then - the fall. You sighed again, this time from the embarrassment you felt, wanting the floor to open you up and swallow you whole.

You felt a tap at the edge of the bed. “Chibi-chan, how are you holding up?” he asked, smirking at the tinge of embarrassment showing up on your cheeks. “Long wait tonight, huh?”

You whimpered as you sat up, still trying to cradle the wrist - there was definitely something wrong, even if it was sprained. “You really don’t have to wait for me, Kuroo. I’ll be fine and get a ride home. Seriously - I’m sorry for not telling you how much of an uncoordinated duck I am and ruining our date,” you muttered.

“You are a nutter if you think that I’m leaving you to just sit here and replay that spectacular fall without commentary,” he chuckled at the image, the smirk never leaving his face. “Don’t worry about it. You’re more important than sleep. And I really don’t mind keeping someone as breathtaking as you company when you’re as vulnerable as this,” waving off your concerns as if he could read your mind.

After another hour of bad jokes made between the two of you, listening to music quietly (and getting shushed by the nurses), and otherwise spending “quality” time together, the doctor came back and cleared you for release with a severe sprain and instructions to ice your wrist and rest it while keeping it compression wrapped. After you got your instructions and were back home, in the twilight of awakeness, you leaned on Kuroo’s shoulder.

“Hey Shortcake, you know I love you right?” he asked softly, his cheek rubbing against the top of your head.

“You wouldn’t put up with this uncoordinated duck if you didn’t,” as you nodded into his chest, sensing his grin more than seeing or feeling it. You could feel the silent laughter shaking the chest you leaned on.

“Yep, whatever would I do without my uncoordinated duck? Go to sleep, Chibi-chan and we’ll try another date sometime soon - no skating allowed.”


	4. Pillow Fort Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A pillow fort replaces another date idea for reader when the weather has other ideas.
> 
> Himiko Toga x Reader
> 
> Modern Day Arachne#4066

_ You jumped at the sound of the storm rushing overhead, the heavens opening and dumping every drop of water possible. You groaned as you leaned your head against the window, the weather shattering your dreams of the park date that you had planned with Himiko _ **_._ ** _ Why couldn’t the weather have held out for a few more hours? _

_ “ _ What’s up, Jellybean? You look like you dropped your ice cream on the ground,”  _ Himiko teased, nuzzling your cheek. She glanced out the window and saw the rain coming down in sheets and, almost as if on cue, lightning cut across the sky with a roll of thunder quickly following. “ _ Oh,” _ falling from her lips, a statement carrying all the weight in the world. _

_ “ _ ‘Oh’ is right. All my plans are just…”  _ you paused, searching for the right words _ . “They’re just ruined,”  _ you groaned, flopping dramatically on the couch, wincing again at another rumble of thunder. _

_She went to flop next to you on the couch, but you rolled off to sit on the floor, knowing that you would have been in for a world of hurt if she had actually succeeded. “_ Oi! Do you think we could do something else?” s _he offered,_ _trying to puzzle out your feelings and offer solutions._

_ You closed your eyes and leaned your head back, pondering what else you could do, especially now that you both were stuck inside at least until the storm passed. You felt her fingers start to comb your hair - god, that felt amazing and you almost lost yourself wandering in your mind.  _

“Jellybean, what else do you really want to do?”

_ You scrunched your face up, knowing that your next thought, your next suggestion was childish. But it was something you really wanted to do, especially now that you felt that you would need the protection, feeble as it might be.  _ “Promise you won’t laugh,” _ you demand, squeezing your eyes shut. _

“Pinky promise, though I’m hurt that you would think that I would laugh at anything you suggest,” s _ he countered, moving her free hand to cover her heart in mock pain, her other hand’s fingers still combing through your hair and massaging your scalp.  _

_ You gently smacked her leg, laughing. “ _ Lies. You would totally laugh and tease me if you didn’t promise.”  _ You take a deep breath in and shakily release it, opening your eyes. “ _ Pillow fort,”  _ you state simply. _

_ Her grin spreads across her face, like little rays of sunshine that pierce through the storm’s rain. “ _ That’s a brilliant idea! I’ll go around and grab all the pillows, you grab the food you’ve already made, and we can read or watch stuff together, or just hang out,” s _ he babbled, like an excited brook that had found an outlet. You smiled at her excitement, happy that you could see her like this and feeling secure in the knowledge that you weren’t being judged for this idea. _

“Plus, Jellybean, this way you’ll feel safer until the storm passes. I know how they make you feel,” s _ he whispered conspiratorially, tenderly, in your ear before kissing you on the top of your head. You blushed at the thoughtfulness, even as she stood up to begin her tasks and offered you her hand for you to help you up off of the floor. _

“This is going to be the best pillow fort ever. Just you wait and see!”


	5. Fancy Dinner Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You had a work fancy dinner event and Kōshi Sugawara attends as your plus one. Mostly pre-event drabble.
> 
> Modern Day Arachne#4066

_You finished your makeup, twirling the lipstick case in your fingers before walking out the door. Kōshi was planning on meeting you at the restaurant. You hated being fancy - most days your standard uniform was jeans, t-shirts, and converse sneakers. Tonight was different since the big bosses from your company were holding this event. The entire drive over to the restaurant, you rehearsed what you were going to say and how you would act. Pulling into a space in the restaurant parking lot, you leaned your head back against the velour seat rest. You just needed to close your eyes for a second to steel yourself against the nerves. A shuddering breath out and snapping your eyes open, you see Sugawara - your Suga - waving at you from the sidewalk. His smile was like a ray of soothing ray of sunshine, breaking through the fog, and warming you from your chest outwards. You gave a soft smile and waved at him through the front windshield, opening your car door as he moved to stand on the other side and look over the frame at you._

“Just what my day needed. Look at you, Sugar, the picture of perfection,” _he beamed with his hazel eyes glinting at you._

_You pull the keys out of the starter and put them in your purse, reaching up for the offered hand. “_ Thanks, Suga-chan. I really appreciate you coming out to this event as my plus-one. It’s been a headache and a half for the entire office. We’ve all been scrambling trying to plan a strategy and it’s just…,” _you paused and sighed as you realized you were rambling._ “Sorry, I guess I’m more anxious about it than I thought.”

_He kissed you on your cheek as you placed your hand on his shoulder to try and straighten your shoes before you started walking. You both realized early on that you were a klutz in hiding and it was better to make sure things were as solid as possible before moving - as much a description of your relationship as it was a description of you as a person. “_ Can you tell me about who we’re going to be meeting?” _he inquired, trying to help calm your nerves._ “Maybe if you tell me, I can help make sure things go smoothly,” _he offered._

_You kissed his cheek and nuzzled into his neck. You appreciated his thoughtful and tender nature, especially with you. This man knew how to take care of you and you were lucky to have him. You started walking with him into the restaurant, explaining who each of the executives were, what they liked, and what to expect. Surprisingly, you realized that you remembered all of the information that you had been trying to cram into your head the last few weeks and you giggled._

“Were you just trying to show me that I actually kept all of that information in my head?” _you teased, knowing that even if he denied it, he always did this kind of thing to help boost your confidence._

“Uh, duh,” _he responded affirmatively, an insistence in his voice._ “I’m so proud of you and everything you do. You’ve been working so hard and I just kind of wanted to show you that you’re really good at balancing it all. You’re sometimes so hard on yourself, Sugar, for no reason, and I just really love you,” _he insisted quietly, as you directed him through the restaurant to the room reserved for your work event._

_You smiled gratefully, the room seeming to light up as though fireflies had flown in through the window into the room of the reserved room - tastefully decorated in company colors with your signature sophisticated, yet harmonious style._ “You are literally the best, Suga-chan. Thank you for everything,” _you whispered as you started to make your rounds, introducing yourself to the executives, ensuring that the event went off without a whisper of a hitch. Sugawara grinned, enjoying watching you work, especially like this because you were in your element - confident, graceful, gentle, strong. And you were all his at the end of the day._


	6. Dinner at Home Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You head home after a long day of a long week at work and there's someone waiting for you.
> 
> Modern Day Arachne#4066

_ You pulled into the darkened driveway to your house. It had been a week that felt like a year and you weren’t too thrilled about going home, but didn’t have the energy to be able to go back out and stay awake. Falling asleep while being out at a club or restaurant didn’t seem like the greatest idea and would be entirely embarrassing, so you went home. Ukai was still out, so the house felt cold and you hadn’t even stepped foot into it.  _

_ Gathering yourself and your bags, you heaved yourself out of the car and ambled up the short walk to your front door. Easing the key into the lock and letting yourself in to the warmth of the house, you dropped your bags off at the door, slipping your shoes off, and pulling your coat to hang it up in the entry closet. Something gave you pause, though.  _

_ The house was...warm? _

_ You specifically turned the heat off during the day, since no one would be home to be in the comfortable warmth. It saved you money and the house warmed up quickly once you got in and turned the heat on, so it just made the most sense.  _

_ You listened carefully, moving silently, warily, deeper into the house, phone close at hand ready to dial for the police in case there was an intruder. This was not the day for there to be an intruder in your house, though - with the way that you were feeling, you might just beat them up before the police even got there. As you reached the kitchen, the only place that you could hear potential signs of life, you paused. Why would an intruder have turned the heat on? Gently pulling the door to the kitchen open, the first thing you hear were the gentle croons of Sinatra, and the smell of the cooking food drew you further into the space. You saw the ombre hair of the ex-volleyball player as he was belting out “That’s Life” with Sinatra and cooking your favorite meal.You softly moved to the speaker to pause the music and when the last notes faded from the song, you pushed pause. Keishin waited for the next song and when it didn’t automatically come on, reached his hand towards the speaker, keeping his eyes on the cooking in order to ensure it didn’t burn or boil over. _

_ Except, he didn’t grab the speaker. He grabbed your arm, instead, popping his head around surprised. You giggled at his expression. There were so few opportunities to surprise him and you took advantage of every single one. Leaning back against the counter, you appraised him. “ _ When did you get back in?”  _ It was a simple question, but had a bite, a charge...a pout? You wanted to surprise him when he got back in, not the other way around. _

_ He paused, jaw clenching and unclenching, eyes trying to find any excuse in the kitchen that would explain his reasoning for not telling you that he was back in town. “ _ Look, Little Crow,”  _ he started and paused when his chocolate eyes met yours, daring to drag him into your depths and get lost in you, your thoughts, your heart. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he rambled on “ _ I didn’t call because I just got in this afternoon, you have been so busy at work, and I had a feeling you would be too tired to go out for a date this evening. So I brought the date home to you.”

_ You smiled, a genuine smile, one saved only for Keishin, and he knew it. You nodded at the stove, sensing more than smelling or seeing that something might be starting to boil over. “ _ I’m going to go and change out of these gross work clothes,”  _ you off-handedly mention while turning around to press play on the speaker.  _ “Just let me know when dinner’s ready, please?”  _ you asked kindly in a quiet voice, the bite of poisonous anger having been sucked back down your throat and the fire having been tempered. _

_ He watched you out of the corner of his eye, turning the music back on, Sinatra crooning about someone being under his skin, and you waltzing back to the room to change. He knew with how tired you were, it would be a set of soft pajamas and a soft t-shirt. Snickering, he had already set out some options for you and he couldn’t wait to hear the sound of you rolling your eyes in 3...2...1 _

“KEISHIN,”  _ you yelled, as if right on cue. You had thrown on the softest option, he knew that you would want that pair, and you were miffed that he knew you so well.  _

_ “ _ Dinner’s done, Little Crow,”  _ he called back cheerfully. He had already moved the portable speaker to the dining area and was heading back into the kitchen to bring out the actual food. You ambled to the speaker, as the last song was ending and you were hearing the opening notes for “Witchcraft,” starting to softly sway to the song. Keishin came up behind you swaying with you and humming in your ear, memorizing the way you looked and smelled right now.  _

“I missed you, Keishin,”  _ you muttered as you sighed into the sweet dance, your annoyance completely forgotten _ .

“Little Crow, I missed you, too,”  _ he purred, pulling you to the waiting dining table _ . “Cause there’s no nicer witch than you.”


	7. Zoom Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're at a conference when Kei Tsukishima calls to talk. SFW, I promise!
> 
> Modern Day Arachne#4066

_ The hotel door whispered open as you inserted the key and leaned into it, sighing contentedly. This conference was worth missing date night this week. You had just received your doctorate and were being invited to speak at one of the biggest conferences in your field as a junior on a few different panels in mythology and folklore and how these subjects present in the current day and help guide and shape the current generations.  _

_ It was the 3rd day of the 5 day conference. Luckily tomorrow you weren’t presenting or speaking, so you could stay up a little later, enjoy yourself a little bit more. Pulling your shoes off and changing into comfortable pajamas, your phone started ringing with the special ringtone that you used for Tsukishima. You grinned as you answered cheerfully, masking the exhaustion you felt, “ _ Hey Kei , my salty dinosaur! What’s up?”

_ He chuckled, a shiver running through your spine at the exhaustion in his own voice. He must have stayed up late waiting to call you. “ _ Hey Pipsqueak. How’s the conference?”  _ he asked. He mumbled quietly after his question, “ _ I miss you.”

_ That last line melted your heart.  _ “Hey Tsuki, you got your laptop nearby?”  _ you gently asked.  _ “Want to talk over Zoom? I have a little time before bed and I’d like to see the face of my salty dinosaur.”

_ He hummed as he grabbed his laptop. You had already sent the link to the room that you started. The humming reminded you that tonight would have been your date night. At least you were getting to see him, even if you couldn’t be there in person. His face flashed on your laptop screen, his smirk widening when he saw your face. It was your favorite smirk, but you could tell he was tired.  _ “So, Pipsqueak, here’s my beautiful face just like you wanted. How’s the conference?”

_ You shook your head, removing the cobwebs from your brain, trying to stir the mush of information that you haven’t even processed into coherent sentences.  _ “It’s going well,” _ you start, thinking back over the last 3 days.  _ “I think my work is being accepted by the community, which is flattering. I had you tear it apart enough as I was writing it,”  _ you smirked, remembering the long philosophical debates you got into with him over this topic.  _

_ “ _ You liked the debates, Pipsqueak. And it only made your dissertation stronger, so…,”  _ he trailed off, with a chuckle that hid a yawn. _

_ You sighed and yawned yourself. “ _ I wish I could have brought you, Kei. Everyone here is so straight-laced and looks like they’re sucking on sour candies,”  _ you conceded.  _ “And I miss you, too,”  _ you admitted quietly.  _

_ Saying you missed each other was just the way that you showed your love for the other. It was your way of showing that you cared and that you were still connected despite the distances. Your eyes were getting heavy with the sleep that you desperately needed for the rest of the conference.  _

_ His voice, also filled with sleep, roused you if only for a brief moment in time. “ _ I love you, Pipsqueak, and I am so very proud of you,”  _ he murmured. _

“I love you, too, Kei, my salty dinosaur,” _ and that was the last memory before you fell into a deep and tranquil sleep. You didn’t notice when he shut off the video either, but you woke up to a message that could only come from your salty dinosaur:  _

_ “ _ Pipsqueak, get you some sour candies so you can keep up with everyone else there. I miss you.”

_ You snickered and vowed to find some sour candies just to take a picture to send to Kei by the end of the conference. This would be a fun challenge. _


	8. Picnic Date

_Annoyed, you grabbed the soft blanket and the basket of food and drinks that you had prepped for your picnic this morning. If nothing else, you would have a wonderful picnic by yourself. You stomped over to a shady spot near a place with the view of the mountains and the valleys below. The crisp blues, the muted browns, and the delicate greens reminded you that Spring was threatening to return, and to be honest, you would be happy if Spring followed through on that threat._

_Spreading the blanket out and putting the basket on a corner, you sank down to sit on it gently. It would be an experience and a half to try and get back up from the ground, but still. This quiet and safe place was worth all the stress and strain that you had put up with in order to get here. You breathed a soft sigh of relief as the wind gently whispered across your cheek bringing the sweet scent of the water nearby, earthy pines, and something else. Grinning softly, you call out “_ Kakashi, you should just come out of hiding. I can smell your cologne.”

_He jumped down from the tree branches, his mask covering his mouth and nose, his headband covering the one eye that was never shown to the world except in dire need. His sheepish grin reached his eyes as he meandered over to the blanket, a quiet jingling coming from the bells he carried. He stood at the edge, waiting for you to invite him over, looking over the pristine view that you had chosen. You gently, almost imperceptibly, wave him onto the blanket._

_“_ This is a perfect place to have a picnic, Lotus. I’m surprised there aren’t more people around,” _he rambled as though he hadn’t left you on_ Read _all night after trying to confirm the plans with him last night._

“Who knows why no one else has found this place. Might have something to do with the fact that I’m irritated - maybe they have the good sense to avoid that,” _you grumbled, biting your tongue to keep the bitterness and resentment out of your voice._

 _He cocked his head towards you, with his head propped up on his hand, looking at you in confusion. His eyes darkened at your obvious irritation, as you were unpacking the basket of food and drinks, practically throwing the containers onto the blanket._ “Lotus,” _he braced, a question in his voice,_ “what’s going on, love?,” _he asked, still confused._

“Not even a response, Kakashi? Nothing, really? You really left me hanging last night when I was just trying to figure out today. Really helped me feel like I was important,” _you pouted, as much annoyed with yourself for feeling so petty as you were with him for not responding. You continued spreading out the containers of food and making the plates of food, avoiding his eye contact, embarrassed with yourself._

 _His hand on your forearm, thumb rubbing circles around your wrist bone, was what finally stopped you from your distraction and had you look up at him. He smelled so good, like the woods surrounding you, but there was a hint of something else there, something else that you couldn’t quite place. As he maintained eye contact, he lifted your wrist to his lips. “_ Lotus, my Lotus, I would never ignore you on purpose. I promise.”

“To be honest, I was having a lot of trouble sleeping last night and must have missed the messages as they were coming in. I’m sorry, Lotus,” _he apologized sincerely, punctuating each sentence with a kiss._

 _How could you stay mad with an apology like that? You sighed, feeling the last of your anger dissipate. “_ Fine, Kakashi. For now. Make it up to me later?” _you requested and he smiled against your wrist. You grinned, removing your wrist from his grasp and offering him a plate of food, knowing that he would follow through - thoroughly - with your request._


	9. Coffee Date

_ A nice jazz tune lilted through the air from a live band at the cafe today - you had chosen a good day to come and hang out, read a little, drink a whole lot of caffeine, and otherwise relax on a day off. Your eyes wandered over the words spread out over the pages of the book, not really focusing on the story, as buzzed as you were on the caffeine high, feeling like you could actually see the music. _

_ Oikawa came to sit at the table you were lounging at, a fresh cup of coffee in his hand and a smile on his face. It was a genuine smile and you chuckled at the idea of yet another cup of caffeine, arching an eyebrow at the thought. “ _ Ah, ah, Little Cutie. This is decaf. To be honest, they should have cut off your caffeine intake a while ago, but I guess you’re just too, well, cute,”  _ he chuckled deep in his chest.  _

_ You rolled your eyes at him, grinning over your book. You still accepted the coffee gratefully, even though it was decaf now. There was a line out the door now, which kept it open and the blustery cold came through, along with the hustle and buzz of all the voices. And still, you heard the music, could feel each note of the bass rumble through your body. “ _ Thank you for the hot beverage that isn’t at all effective against the bone deep exhaustion I’ve been feeling lately,” _ you snarked back at the face that was beaming at you from across the table.  _

_ “ _ I should make you drink this instead, Tohru. If it wasn’t hot, I’d pour it over your head.”

_ He heaved a dramatic sigh and started pouting.  _ “This is what I get for being nice. I swear, I’ll only be more obnoxious about being sweet to you in the future, Little Cutie. I do like this place, though; at least the music is good,”  _ giving you a rare genuine smile, one reserved only for you.  _

_ At first, you had small talk and easy conversation. By the time you had finished half of the cup of very decaf coffee, he had moved to sit next to you, wrapping a long sinewy arm around you, his foot tapping along with the beat, his voice low in your ear. By the time you finished the cup of coffee, the band was finishing their last song for the day and it was time for the shop to start their closing rituals.  _

_ He stood, stretching, unhurried by the staff movement behind him. Glancing at you, while you finish gathering your stuff, “ _ Guess it’s time for us to head out, eh, Little Cutie?,”  _ offering you his hand to help you stand. When you accepted his hand, he made sure to pull you fully into his embrace, giving you a peck of a kiss on the lips as you tripped into him, smiling as he did.  _

_ “ _ Whoops, guess you really fell for me,”  _ he smirked. _

_ Embarrassed, you grabbed your things and went outside in the cold without fully putting on your jacket. Oikawa smoothly came up behind you, and despite your protests, kept his arms wrapped around you. “ _ Tohru, I swear, you annoy the living shit out of me sometimes,”  _ you said with a whine. _

_ “ _ Don’t worry, Little Cutie. It’s only sometimes, not all the time. Besides,” _ his voice dropping and turning husky, “ _ I have a couple of ways to warm you up since you seem to like being cold so much.”


	10. Stargazing Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For a friend in my Discord - <3 <3 
> 
> Modern Day Arachne#4066

_ You pouted in the car - something about this whole game had you wondering why you accepted this plan. But you were in love and this, he had promised, would be the date of your lifetime.  _

_ Satori Tendou. He called you his Paradise. You called him Monster, or just Satori. And he had planned out an entire night of adventure, on a night that you had often sworn off as a corporate money-making scheme _

_ It started when he picked you up at your front door, right on time, which was unusual for him. Not to mention the way that he put himself together, cleaned up yet casual, the smell of sweets dusting off of him. A bouquet of chocolate roses in his hand, knowing that you wouldn’t necessarily want real flowers.  _

_ You greedily accepted the arrangement, offering him to come in while you finished putting your shoes on. He nodded, stepping through the threshold, grinning at you. You looked at his face and wondered what he could possibly be up to. “ _ Paradise, did you read the note attached?” _ he questioned, arching his eyebrow, seemingly absent-mindedly.  _

_ You shook your head, just now noticing the note. Something about starting a short scavenger hunt scrawled on it. The first hint: “ _ The clue is in the beginning; the beginning is the clue.”

“Satori, my Monster, please. What the heck is this clue? Come on,”  _ you whined loudly.  _

_ He just shook his head and put a finger to his lips. “ _ Ah ah ah, Paradise. You have to guess. I know you can do it. That’s the name of the game,”  _ he smirked.  _

_ You sighed, knowing that the night would not progress unless you at least attempted a guess.  _ “Fine. The beginning. I guess it could be the beginning of the day, beginning of the week, beginning of the year...,” _ you paused, squinting at him, trying to guess at his expression. _

“A hint for Paradise? Think of what today is,”  _ he hummed. You thought about it carefully. _

_ “ _ Something to do with the beginning of us. Food usually comes first on a date, or so I’ve been told. So, what about somewhere that we first ate at?,”  _ you puzzled out cautiously. The grin on his face was enough to tell you that you had figured out the answer.  _

“That’s my Paradise. I knew you could figure it out,”  _ he said reaching out, starting the car, pulling out of your driveway. He had been fiddling with his phone beforehand and when the lilting music started, it was an entire playlist of your favorites.  _

_ He took you to the ramen shop you both frequented early on in the relationship. Then another clue and a guess which led to a quiet walk to a park where a telescope was set up. He smiled knowingly. You enjoyed spending time with him watching the stars, so you knew that this was meant for you.  _

_ “ _ Tell me where the telescope is pointing, Paradise, and you’ll get your last present,”  _ he whispered in your ear conspiratorially.  _

_ You shrugged at him and stepped up to the telescope, peeking through the eyepiece. You realized that it was pointing at a specific star in Orion’s Belt, one that you had seen with Satori before. Looking up at his grinning face, you guessed “ _ I think it’s the star we talked about before, right?”

_ He offered you an envelope and you took it, opening it with trembling hands. It was a star named after you. As tears pricked your eyes and you swatted at them, Satori kissed the top of your head. “ _ Happy Valentine’s Day, Paradise. I love you until the stars die out.”


	11. Road Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Modern Day Arachne#4066

_ Kirishima was grabbing some last minute items from inside the house. You were going over your list: suitcases, snacks, pillows, blankets, chargers, both audio and physical books, addresses of the places you were going. You smiled to yourself after finishing your checks and shutting the trunk. A road trip was fun, but you were the planner, the preparer type of personality and Eijiro was the opposite: carefree and ready for adventure. He balanced out your constant planning with excitement and organized chaos. _

_ You were still grinning when you walked to the front passenger side door to hope in and a familiar hand teased you with static on the door handle.  _ “Hey Pebble,”  _ he said, giving you a peck on your cheek.  _ “You ready to head out?”

_ You sighed and nodded your head, knowing that while you really wanted to double-check the house for last possible second items, you were just stalling for time.  _ “Yeah, yeah. If we don’t get going now, I’m going to spend another hour checking and rechecking,”  _ you muttered. _

_ He smiled wide, opening the door for you and leaning over the top.  _ “You really are amazing, you know,”  _ he offered as a show of appreciation for finally being able to get out of the driveway on this trip.  _ “It’s going to be fun! The places we’re going to stop, the things we’ll do! I only want to make these memories with you, Pebble,  _ he beamed, closing the door and hopping over to the driver side. He would be taking the first driving shift and would switch when you made it to the destination.  _

_ You settled into your seat, plugging your phone into the charger and into the radio, choosing a playlist you created specifically for this trip. Rolling down your window, you felt the breeze start to pick up as Eijiro navigated the route. In spite of your need for plans and planning, you did appreciate the feeling of freedom and the crisp wind whispered against your cheek.  _

“Hey Pebble, penny for your thoughts?,”  _ Eijiro asked, catching your hand in his, kind eyes never leaving the road, pulling you out of your reverie.  _

“Just appreciating the time I get to spend with you right now. I know I plan and overplan and worry and stress, but right now, it feels like everything is floating away here. And that feels good, honestly,”  _ you replied dreamily.  _

_ You missed the smile that played on his lips at your words.  _ “I’m glad to hear you finally relaxing, Pebble. I really wanted this to be a trip to alleviate some stress for you,”  _ he hinted, breathing a sigh of relief. “ _ You’ve been so stressed lately and I wanted you to know how much I love you,”  _ he said, giving you a rare authentic smile that showed you just how much he cared and his relief.  _

_ You kissed the hand holding yours. “ _ Thank you, Eijiro. I love it and I love you.”


	12. Snow Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Modern Day Arachne#4066

_ You pushed your face against the foggy window, your breath only causing more fog to be created. Your eyes practically sparkled with the anticipation and excitement of a puppy exploring a new place. I mean, you practically were, anyway.  _

_ “ _ Yu, Yu, Yu,” _ you babbled excitedly.  _ “There’s SNOW,” _ emphasizing the last word with a barely contained thrill in your voice. Not having seen snow in person before, you were already planning all the things that you wanted to do. _

_ Nishinoya stood next to you, looking out the window.  _ “It’s not that exciting, Little Monster. It’s just snow,”  _ he teased, handing you a warm coffee, your second cup of the morning. You looked at him with a rare look of disbelief and he laughed at your expression. _

“Not that exciting? What are you talking about, Yu? I have NEVER been around snow in person, so sue me if I’m excited about something,”  _ you grumbled at him, getting annoyed with his teasing. Taking the cup of coffee in your hands and beginning the process of warming them up, you go to your suitcase to unpack your warmest clothes.  _

_ Yu watched you with a soft smile from over near the window memorizing your form and your excitement for something as simple as snow. He was watching you carefully choose your clothing in order to ensure you would last out in the snow and cold as long as possible.  _ “Little Monster, you’ve got 10 minutes to get ready to go outside,”  _ he said in a singsong tone. “ _ Then we’re going to have some real fun.”

_ Your head snapped around at him, glaring suspiciously. He tapped his wrist as though time was ticking by, seconds counting down. Gathering your chosen clothes, you scampered to change and get ready. You gulped down the coffee, burning your tongue in the process and finished pulling on your hat and gloves. You put a warm gloved hand on the cold metal of the doorknob, Yu walking up behind you. “ _ Come on, Little Monster, let’s go!,”  _ he practically shouted at you, pushing on your shoulders, trying to get you to move faster.  _

_ You snickered at his impatience.  _ “I thought it was just snow,” _ you teased, tossing a glance back. Throwing the door open, the cold greeted your face and the smell of frozen water brought you to your senses. Stepping out into the snow, you welcomed the change from the heat of the room, almost too warm for you now. Lazily stretching your arms, you bend down to scoop up some of the snow into your hands, marveling at the feeling as it sifted through your fingers.  _

_ Yu bent down next to you, watching your wonder with his chin resting in one of his hands, amusement playing on his face. “ _ Are you just gonna stare at it? Or do you want to actually play with it?”  _ You glared at him, but grinned.  _

_ “ _ I really want to make a snow bunny,”  _ you stated simply, a gentle smile and a soft blush highlighting your cheeks.  _

_ His grin was wider than you thought possible. “ _ Sure, Little Monster! Let’s make a whole family of snow bunnies,”  _ he said while kissing your cheek.  _ “I bet they’ll come to life later and we can watch them play,”  _ he teased, earning a push on his shoulder from you, throwing him off balance and into the snow. You giggled as he got up and pushed you back, earning you a flop into the soft powdery snow.  _

_ His hand was in your face offering you help back into an upright position. You grabbed it and felt the pull of the sinewy muscles in his arm as he pulled you into him, wrapping his arms around you.  _ “Come on, Little Monster. Let’s build this snow bunny army.”


	13. Disney Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Modern Day Arachne#4066

_ You were surprised when Bokuto approached you with a request that you keep your Saturday afternoon and evening open for him and he would make it worth your while. Usually you were the one who was crafting all the plans for the things you did together. You were curious and impatient in your waiting, wanting to know what the surprise was on Saturday. And with the day finally here, you were glaring at the text message you got: _

_ “ _ Dress in something blue. Be ready by 4:30.”

_ Blue? And what was the dress code? Like t-shirt level? Dressy? Business casual? You snapped off a reply with those questions, nibbling on a finger trying to plan your outfit and what you would need to get ready. The minutes ticked away, waiting on a reply that never came. When you finally stretched to go get ready, joints snap, crackle, and popping away, you hadn’t gotten a response and was going off of what you felt was the best middle ground: a nice baby blue shirt with the jeans that showed off your assets.  _

_ The doorbell rang before you knew it and Kotaro was standing there smirking, a dozen roses in his hand, 6 white and 6 red. His smirk only grew wider when he saw your outfit and offered you the rose bouquet.  _ “Damn, did you have to be on point with the blue?,”  _ he joked, grinning at your confusion. _

_ You pulled the door closed behind you, savoring the rich scent of the roses. “ _ Where are we off to, dear?,”  _ you emphasized the last word with a tightness that suggested annoyance, locking the door behind you.  _

_ “ _ Ah ah ah. No, you don’t need to know yet. It’s for me to know and you to find out,”  _ he bantered slyly, winking while he opened the passenger door for you and closing it after you were situated. You chose the music, as usual, and he deftly negotiated the winding roads, finally turning into a nondescript parking lot.  _

_ You rolled your eyes and heaved a sigh, looking over at him with no small amount of frustration. “ _ Really? This is where you wanted to go? To a no-name building?,”  _ you said with a bite of snark. _

_ He guffawed loudly. “ _ You really think that I would bring you somewhere unsafe, Baby Owl? God, you’re frustrating. I promise, this will be way better than you think,”  _ he swore, crossing his finger over his heart.  _

“Fine.”

_ You pushed open the passenger door and he, ever the gentleman, offered you his arm into the building. You walked through the dimly lit halls, wondering what the hell kind of place you agreed to enter on this date.  _

_ Finally reaching what seemed to be the end of a labyrinth of halls, Bokuto pushed open the final door to a world exploding in bright and vivid colors that almost hurt your eyes from the dim halls. He handed you a teacup and saucer, filled with a variation of a hot toddy. You looked at him in no small amount of confusion, his jacket abandoned, a waistcoat with a pocket chain attached, his hair forming peaks that could be seen as an owl at any other time but looked more like a rabbit’s ears now. _

_ He grinned as the revelation of what was going on slowly dawned on you.  _

“Welcome to the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, Alice. I’m so glad you came with me on this date tonight, Baby Owl.”


	14. Mall Date

_ Grumbling quietly and sighing as you made your way through the tightly packed mall, you shoved your free hand in your pocket, your other hand gripping your cane handle tightly. Too many people had touched you today, ignored your cane, pushed you around and you were frustrated, hot, sweaty, and tired. Not the greatest look for your date, but there wasn’t much you could do about it, so you pressed on, shouldering through the crowd to the store where Wakitoshi had wanted to meet.  _

_ “ _ This is the last time that I agree to meeting at the mall during the day on a Saturday, no matter what bribes are offered,”  _ you muttered to yourself under your breath, trying to remember the name of the store. Some other random nobody knocks into you, knocking you off-balance and trying to catch yourself, and feeling strong arms catch you before you hit the ground. _

_ “ _ Hey Honey,”  _ the deep bass voice vibrates through you, your head in his chest, his hands ghosting over you checking for injuries. “ _ I came looking for you since you aren’t normally running late,”  _ he explained, feeling the tense frustration clenching in your muscles.  _

_ You breathed in the sweet and smoky tea scent rolling off of Ushijima and let your heart settle down from the marathon it had been running. “ _ ‘Toshi _ ,  _ remind me to remind you of this if you ever ask me to come to the mall on a Saturday afternoon,”  _ you mumble into his chest.  _ “What store is so important that I needed to practically die coming into the mall today?”

“I promise, Honey. I know that you will appreciate the store. It’s very much worth the chaos you endured,” _ he purred, softly rubbing some of the tension out of your back.  _

_ He started leading you through the chaotic mall, except people were more aware of his intimidating presence, parting like the Red Sea before him. He kept you near him, shortening his stride to match pace with yours so that you didn’t get pulled away into the chaotic eddies of the people around the two of you. You got lost in your thoughts, finally having a safe trajectory and having some feeling of safety, at last having a chance to pull yourself out of the chaos.  _

_ While you were worrying away at your thoughts, you had a gradual realization that you weren’t walking forward anymore and were very much standing still. You glanced up at your boyfriend, who was grinning down at you, seeming rather impressed with himself. You looked at the store in front of you, noticing the name  _ “Den of Fibers”  _ and what was piled in the storefront windows. You gasped sharply walking over to the store window showing off the bed of clouds composed of yarn and fabrics which you wanted your hands to sink into.  _

_ “  _ ‘Toshi. Is this what you wanted to show me? Can we go in?”

_ He nodded and hummed a happy validation. “ _ I saw that this was opening this weekend and really wanted to bring you here today. I know it’s not much of a date necessarily…” _ he paused, seeing the gloss of tears shine through your excitement. His face fell in regret at the thought of your tears, thinking you were upset at his attempt to cheer you up, knowing how stressed you had been lately. _

_ You swatted at the tears, seeing his disappointment. “ _ No, no ‘Toshi. This is amazing and I love it,”  _ you pleaded, pulling him through the store doors. _

“I love this and I love you. Let me show you some favorites of mine. Please.”


	15. Zoo Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The prompt was Amusement Park, but I really wanted to do the Zoo.

_ You smiled to yourself as you clicked “Buy” on the tickets for the next date you had planned out with your boyfriend. He had agreed to keep a day open from his Hero work - he had been working so hard and hadn’t had time off in such a long time. You texted him, letting him know the date had been set and the tickets had been bought. You grinned while tickling his feather that you kept on you in the way that let him know he had a message. _

_ His golden eyes narrowed and squinted when you described what you wanted to do for your date.  _ “So, Kid,” _ he used the nickname that always made you roll your eyes, “ _ What you’re telling me is that we’re going to…,” _ he paused, searching for the words. _

_ “ _ A zoo, yes, Keigo. I want to go to the zoo with you and the red pandas are most likely to be active right now and I really want to see them,”  _ you babbled, like a brook excitedly moving towards the larger river. _

_ He rolled his eyes, but his smile belied the contentment that he felt when listening to you passionately talk about your interests.  _ “Fine, Kid. We’ll go to the zoo. Maybe I’ll even buy you a cotton candy,”  _ he teased, earning him a jab to the shoulder.  _

_ You gave him a peck on the cheek.  _ “Thanks, Keigo. I already bought the tickets so I would have been going with or without you anyway,” _ you grinned, giggling at the way his face twisted in mock annoyance at your stubbornness.  _

A Few Days Later…

_ You were practically vibrating with the barely contained excitement for the date today. You were up, ready, and pacing around the apartment early in the morning waiting for Keigo to wake up, let alone get ready. As you cleaned the kitchen for the third time in a row, Keigo appeared rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, scanning the kitchen for the pot of coffee that you’ve already made. _

“G’morning, Baby Bird,” _ he mumbled, sleep invading his words, calloused hands reaching around you for a coffee cup. His first cup would be black coffee and any following would get sweeter and sweeter throughout the day. _

_ You grinned as you pushed a cup of coffee into his hands.  _ “You ready for today, Keigo. I’m ready for today….,”  _ you continued to chitter on, talking about inconsequential plans for today’s date.  _

_ He hummed and nodded his head, not really processing everything you were saying.  _ “Give me 20 minutes, Songbird, and then we can head out,” _ he said, with you nodding your head quickly in response. _

_ He had flown the two of you to the zoo entrance, though you had requested he stop at the picnic area to not make a scene. That day was for the two of you and you were hopeful that the fans would understand and be respectful of your space. You were bouncing on the balls of your feet in line, holding the tickets tightly.  _

_ You felt a tug on the tickets and his hand on the small of your back.  _ “Kid, let me hold these. You might end up ripping them,” _ he teased, giving you a kiss on your cheek.  _ “How many cups of coffee did you end up having anyway?,”  _ he smirked. _

“Four. I woke up early.”

_ He groaned and shook his head. Finally getting to the ticket-taker, he handed the printouts to them and gathered maps for the both of you. You led him to the side so that you could show him the path you had planned to take to hit up all the best exhibits at the best times. He grinned at your excitement, mentally planting a second feather somewhere on you, just in case you ran off without him. _

_ First exhibit was the monkeys with the lemurs chittering and exploding with the energy that you also felt. As you continued on your expedition, you ooh-ed and aah-ed with child-like delight. Each exhibit that you visited, you would prattle and info-dump to Keigo all the information that you had spent hours researching. These were the times that Keigo would look at you with adoration - he enjoyed these moments with you babbling passionately about your favorite subjects. _

_ Mid-afternoon, you had finished seeing the rhinoceros’, Keigo commenting on that damn annoying peacock yelling, and were at the bird section. The completionist in you knew that you had to go to this section and then the red pandas would be awake and ready for your final completion point of the day.  _

_ Keigo, on the other hand, was whining now. “ _ Why do we have to go to the bird exhibit, Kid? I’m more than enough bird for you, aren’t I?”

“Keigo, you know why I have to do it. I have to complete the zoo. I’m going whether you come or not. If you want to stay here, feel free,”  _ you challenged, walking towards the exhibit.  _

_ He groaned, following after you. You were already watching the birds flitting from branch to branch when he caught up with you, scoffing at them.  _ “Okay, Kid, you’ve watched them, let’s move on.”

_ You glared at him,  _ “No, Keigo. The red pandas aren’t awake for another thirty minutes. I’m here for another fifteen.”

_ He rolled his eyes at you and put his arm around you, pulling you close to his body, his wings a little puffier than usual. You went to another part of the exhibit, another bird having caught your eye. The bird was bobbing its head and body, almost seeming to dance. You were watching it so intensely, you didn’t notice your boyfriend’s wings getting puffier and puffier, the irritation showing on his face.  _ “Keigo, come look at the cute bird…,” _ you called for him, pausing when you saw his face and wings.  _ “Uh, what’s wrong, Keigo?”

“You think that’s cute? What’s he got that I don’t?,”  _ Keigo demanded, growling low in his chest. _

“Keigo, the bird was just dancing. It was cute. That’s all,”  _ you answered. _

_ He shook his head.  _ “That wasn’t just dancing, Baby Bird, and you know it. He wants to take you away from me, the asshole.”

_ You looked back to the bird, who seemed to be watching your interaction with its head cocked to the side.  _ “Keigo. Are you jealous of the bird?,”  _ you asked gently, having difficulty hiding the laughter that was threatening to bubble up out of your chest.  _

_ He scoffed at the question.  _ “Of course, I’m not jealous of the bird. I’m just asking what he’s got that I don’t?”

_ By this point, you were silently giggling, your shoulders shaking and you gasping for air with the hilarity of the situation.  _ “Keigo, of course you’re more than enough bird for me. I swear, you’re freaking jealous of the bird. What is this nonsense,”  _ you promised, swore, and asked in between the laughter that had overtaken you. _

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Kid. So hilarious,” _ he jibed, realizing that others in the exhibit had seen.  _ “Can we just move on to the red pandas now? And forget this ever happened…,” _ he muttered, embarrassed at his outburst.  _

_ Wiping away tears from laughing so hard, you nodded your head, not trusting your voice to answer without more laughter. You walked out of the exhibit, pointing at the map showing the path to the red pandas, but as you were leaving you glanced back to see him having a glaring contest with the bird.  _

“Keigo,”  _ you called for him.  _ “Please just leave the damn bird alone, I swear, before I die from laughter,”  _ the giggles starting to escape again. _

_ He huffed and stomped over to you, looking back every so often to give a dirty look at the bird. When he finally got to your side, he wrapped his arms and wings around you.  _ “You know you’re mine, Songbird, right?,”  _ he asked, a hint of need for reassurance in his voice. _

“Of course, Keigo. You’re the only bird for me.”


	16. Beach Day Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, this one turned angsty. Ahem, beach day date? More like Beach afternoon/evening conversation.

_ When you arrived at the beach in the afternoon when the vacationers were starting to clear out, leaving only the briefest of traces that they had been there. The water lapped at the liminal edges of land and ocean, erasing the remnants of the day. You loved this space, this sacred and hallowed slip of land. You had wanted to share it with [NAME], open yourself up… _

_ Now? You were left waiting to share it because he had been called away on an emergency mission. Hero work and all, even though you had begged that he find someone else to go. You knew his work was important to him. _

_ But you also wanted to feel important to him, too. _

_ Before you knew it, your feet had carried you down the rocks, into the warm sand and you could feel the individual pebbles gently rolling off your feet. You already had your chosen fire pit spot set up and ready for you to return to it. Now, though, you needed to be closer to the water. The warmth of the sand was comforting, lulling you into a gentle step and stopped you just before you walked into the cold breaks of the waves. You crouched down, smelling the sea salt, feeling the breeze kiss your face, and grabbed a handful of the sand, like an old friend, comfortable, coarse, rough, and so very gentle. You let your mind wander aimlessly as the sun slowly started its journey below the horizon. _

“Feather, I’m grateful I found you,”  _ a deep voice behind you spoke up, jolting you out of your reverie.  _ “I was able to complete my hero work, but you weren’t at home when I got there. I was…,”  _ he paused, contemplating how to match his emotions to his words. _

“I was worried,”  _ he finished. _

_ You shut your eyes, feeling the frustration rise - you didn’t want to be found, damnit. The waves whispered at your feet, begging you to let them take your frustrations away. Inhaling a deep breath of that salty air, you breathed out all of your frustrations. Tokoyami was watching you softly, closely, as you went through your ritual to cool your blood, quiet your anger. _

_ Another deep breath in, another wave of frustrations out. _

_ You had your head on your knees, completing this ritual and the sand shifted next to you.  _ “Fumi, do you know how angry and hurt I was,” _ you muttered, voice husky with frustration, tasting bitterness swirling in your mouth.  _ “I really didn’t want you to find me, honestly.”

“I could leave, Feather, _ ” he offered, quietly, simply. _

“No.”

_ The word came faster and firmer than you had expected, when you were still so angry at him. Well, you wanted to still be angry at him. But he was here now, right? And that was the important thing, right? _

“Fumi, I know you say you care about me. But I need more than words sometimes. I need action, too. I need to know that I am important to you,”  _ you explained softly, the tears starting to well up again.  _ “Yes, you’re here now. I appreciate that. But what happens on the next date that we plan and you have to go do hero work when you aren’t on the clock? What happens if you don’t come back to the date? What happens if you don’t come back at all?”

_ The tears flowed freely from your eyes, creating rivulets down your cheeks, as all your emotions and fears came spilling out. You were grateful that you had your face hidden, that the sun was now hiding your features.  _

_ You felt his hand on your back, gently pulling you back to the present, centering you in the quiet rolling of the waves.  _ “Feather, I’ve spoken with work. Unless it’s an absolute emergency, they will be moving my name further down the list of on-call heroes. Yes, it’s dangerous work and I can’t always guarantee my safety, but I will always do my best to come back to you,”  _ he promised, taking your hand in his and kissing your knuckles.  _

_ You turned your head on your knees, looking at him, the tears still threatening to spill over.  _

“Feather, if you still need to cry, then do so. It’s better to get your tears out, adding them to the salty expanse of the ocean, than it is to keep them locked away and freeze your heart,”  _ he gently encouraged.  _ “I will be here, sitting with you in the dark so that you aren’t alone.”

_ You bit your bottom lip, looking out at the sea. He was right, as usual. So cry you did for a little longer, his voice humming and guiding you back to center when you spiraled too far away. After the tears had finished falling, you pressed yourself upwards, offering a hand to him.  _ “Let me show you the firepit and the food I brought,”  _ you offered with a quiet and gentle smile.  _ “Welcome to the place I call my sacred liminal space, Fumi. Enjoy your stay,” _ you snarked, laughing deprecatingly at yourself.  _

“No, Feather, I greatly appreciate being invited into this space. Please allow me to thank you,”  _ he said, shaking his head at your laughter and kissing your forehead before allowing you to lead him to the firepit. _


	17. Blind Date

_ Looking both ways, ensuring the coast is clear, you ran your hand along the wall searching for the latch that would open the hidden entrance.Finding the door, you ran your hands over the heavy wooden memories, pulling the darkened oak open. Glancing around one last time, you enter the old speakeasy, breathing deeply of the polished leather, the mixtures of alcohol, bodies squished together, cologne and perfume intertwining throughout the rooms. The dim lighting gave it a smoky, dusky atmosphere, even though smoking was no longer allowed indoors. _

_ Old habits die hard and you shrugged your shoulders as you ensured the door was completely shut. Even though the bar, the speakeasy, was now on the legal side of the law, it still didn’t change how you entered the bar. Better to be safe than sorry, honestly - you didn’t need the trouble, nor want the attention. At this point, you just wanted to find your blind date, get a couple of drinks, and go home.  _

_ You nodded at the bartenders as you sat down at the bar, removing your jacket.  _ “Want the usual, Sweetheart?,”  _ the bartender asked, smiling at you. You inwardly grimaced at the nickname, recognizing that even though he knew your order, he was still new. No one called you that nickname. Ever.  _

“Please. And don’t call me that,” _ you warned, a bite coming into your voice. He nodded, wisely snapping his mouth closed and moving towards the alcohol to start mixing your drink. _

_ You glanced towards another bartender and asked for forgiveness with your eyes. They shrugged their shoulders as an acceptance of your apology and offering one in return. Your bartender came back with your drink, a simple rum and coke. It was sweet enough to take the edge off of the top shelf rum. That’s why you allowed yourself 2 drinks at the most.  _

“Anyone come in with a blindfold on?,”  _ you questioned as you paid and tipped the bartender.  _ “I’m supposed to be meeting a blind date here and he thought that would be amusing,”  _ you smirked as you thought of it. It was stupid, but the guy seemed nice enough from all the reports through your mutual friends. The bartender smirked and pointed to a table in the back, where the frosty-haired man was, indeed, wearing a blindfold. _

_ You nodded and thanked him, grabbing your drink and jacket and walked over to the table. You rapped on the table to get his attention.  _ “Anyone sitting here?,”  _ you inquired, once you had his full attention, sipping on your drink.  _

“Hmmmm, depends. Are you the Usagi-chan that all my friends have been talking about? The seat is saved for them,”  _ he purred, a smile playing on his lips. _

_ You rolled your eyes at that nickname but nodded and sat down. You hated it coming from your friends since it reminded you of just how different and out of place you were. With his voice, though, it rolled off his tongue like honey.  _

“Yes, I’m…,”  _ you paused, grimacing. “ _ I’m that. I’d prefer not to be called that, though.”

_ He nodded, sipping at his drink, scrolling on his phone. You snorted - if you wanted to play video games on your phone, you would have stayed home. He looked up, or at least you assume he did. You were curious about the blindfold, wanting to question why he hid his eyes from the world, wondering what was so important that he would keep it a secret. _

“They’re hidden for a purpose. I don’t show just anyone my eyes, doll,”  _ raising his eyebrows and nodding towards you.  _

_ You giggled a little - you could tell he was trying different nicknames to see what suited your fancy.  _ “Got it, I won’t ask then,”  _ you sipped at your drink instead, settling back into the comfortable shadows of silence.  _

“Why do they call you Usagi-chan?”

_ The question came out of nowhere and you weren’t prepared for it. You should have known he would ask, but you had hoped to avoid the conversation. A sigh fell from your lips and with a flick of your wrist, the bar seemed to fall into darkness. _

“Look, all I know is that I can create an area around me that provides a safe, quick, and secure place. It can also be used as a very convenient exit. They all think it’s like a rabbit’s warren, therefore - Usagi-chan,”  _ you say logically, dismissing the darkness as quickly as it had arrived. _

_ He hummed his acceptance of your explanation. You sighed again, smaller this time, quieter, receding backwards into the dark. The dark was warm, comforting, inviting.  _

“I don’t think that’s why they call you Usagi-chan,”  _ he hummed, hiding a small grin that threatened to grow.  _ “I think the reason why they call you that is because you fight when cornered, hide when necessary, and escape to live another day.”

_ You scoffed, pulling out of the shadows, a hazy ring of light framing your face.  _ “I don’t think that is actually why they call me that,”  _ you muttered, finishing your drink, beckoning for another from the bartender. _

_ “ _ Does it matter?”

_ You paused, thinking, eyeing this stranger down.  _ “You know, I don’t think I ever got your name,”  _ you mention off-handedly, still trying to puzzle this man out. The question surprised you and you weren’t sure if the reason behind the name mattered or not. Pt 3  _

“Gojou Satoru. Perfect for spilling all your secrets, too. I would have figured it out anyway,”  _ he grinned and you realized that you had been pulled closer, out of the comfortable dark and you could almost see the wink that he was giving you.  _

_ You pulled back, just enough that the dark enveloped you again. You were used to pulling people into the dark with you and now that someone was challenging that, you were...uncomfortable. Your second drink had arrived and you paid for it quickly and quietly. It’s arrival had given you time to think, to puzzle, to review. _

“Huh. You’re nothing like the Gojou Satoru I’ve heard about,”  _ you mention thoughtfully and carefully choosing your words. He cocked his head, puzzling what you meant by that.  _ “I understood you to be more of an emotionally immature brat.”

“But does that matter? When the person is sitting right in front of you, inches away, does it matter? There are infinities between us, even though we’re sitting right across the table. Does that make you feel small, Usagi-Chan?,”  _ he asked, leaning forward into your space. _

_ You smirked. He had come into your space, backed you into your corner.  _ “Unlike others, no. It doesn’t make me feel small. I’ll be an infinity away and you still won’t notice me. It’s the benefit of being in the shadows, deep in the warren, if you will.”  _ A sip on a drink, an enchanting spell woven through banter.  _

_ He chuckled low, a dangerous sound coming from him.  _ “Well, little Usagi-Chan, I’ll just have to smoke the rabbit out, won’t I?”


	18. Pool Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The after effects of the pool
> 
> Based off the prompt of Poolside Date and the one line "Who invited a lobster into the house?"

_Rolling over in bed, you wondered why your clothes were too scratchy, why the cool sheets were too hot, why your skin felt like you were on fire. Stumbling to the bathroom, you flipped on the light and while squinting at the mirror, saw your skin red as a clown’s nose._

_You groaned loudly, starting to search around the bathroom for the giant bottle of aloe vera that you kept around for days like this. Grumbling, you found the half-empty bottle, the green goop feeling cool on your burning skin. This was what happened when you went to the pool after nearly a year of avoiding it like the plague._

“Who invited a lobster into the house?,” _you heard a groggy voice snark behind you._

_You whimpered in pain, looking at Keigo’s reflection in the mirror._ “Pretty sure I let myself boil outside at the pool yesterday. I had so much fun that I’m pretty sure I forgot I needed to, y’know, reapply the sunscreen,” _you whined, gingerly dabbing the aloe gel on parts of your skin that was a deeper crimson._

_He leaned on the door, appraising the redness of your skin, the degree of sunburn and scoffed._ “Kid, I am in awe of just how red you are. I didn’t know you liked the red of my wings this much. If I’d have known that, I would have tossed you into the daylight a little more frequently,” _he chuckled._

_Your face grimaced in annoyance at his clear laughter at your helplessness and you moved to throw a jab at his shoulder, but it barely touched him. Still, he gently caught your wrist in order to avoid sunburnt areas and brought it to his lips, his smile still playing on his lips._ “Don’t try and be nice now, asshole. You just laughed at my misery,” _you muttered, hearing the crackle of the now-dried gel on your skin._

“Now now, Baby Bird. That’s not fair. I just happen to like my color on you,” _he softly teased, mocking your pouting face._

“Let me help with getting the gel on your back, yeah?”

_You nodded gently, feeling the pain of the skin stretching as you did._ “Damnit, Keigo, I really messed up this time,” _you griped, the cool gel starting low on your back and making a torturously slow climb._

_You could hear him humming as he smoothed on the gel and somehow you found that it was more soothing to your temper than the aloe was to your skin right now. There was a kiss on the side of your head and a gentle head nudge, guiding you back to bed._

_He brought a cold glass of water from the kitchen, knowing you would need it in order to avoid any effects of the beginnings of sun poisoning as well as hydrating with the nasty sunburn you had. Setting the water on the bedside table, he grabbed his phone to change your contact name to_ LobsterInSun _, making sure to add a note that if you were out in the sun for extended periods, you needed to be reminded to drink water and reapply sunscreen._

“I love you my little fish out of water, my lobster on land,” _he sighed, kissing you on the head as you slept._

_He was right, though - he did like his color on you._


	19. Arcade Date

_ You stood outside waiting at the Nickel Arcade with your bags filled with nickels. A wave of nostalgia crept over you and you shuddered in glee at the idea of playing video games today. You weren’t great at them, but you knew that you could easily play the easy ticket games and get the silly little souvenirs that don’t end up mattering in the end.  _

_ You felt the arms around your waist as you were practically vibrating with the extra energy that you had. Snapping your head to see who it was, you saw the sly grin and the eyes of liquid gold staring back into yours.  _ “Pudding, you seem to be excited for this. If you’re excited, then I’ll be excited, too,”  _ he muttered into the nape of your neck.  _

“This is just such a trip down memory lane, Kenma. I know it isn’t your favorite thing to do, but I really appreciate you coming with me to hang out,”  _ you leaned back into his chest, earning yourself a chuckle and a kiss from him.  _

_ Reaching out to open the door, the smell of old carpet, stale popcorn, and sickly sweet soda stains welcomed you. The warmth of the building, windows open to the sunlight, the electricity of the old games lending an air of static that seemed to match your vibrating energy. You paid the entrance fee absent-mindedly, letting your feet take you on a wandering path through the entire building. You gently touched some of the gaming consoles, memories filling your sight.  _

_ Kenma watched you, analyzing your movements, making his own plans to discover the secrets that the arcade held, a smile playing on his face. Despite not wanting to be out all that much, spending time with you around the video games that you both loved was good enough for today. _

“Kenma, over here. Want to play this one with me?,”  _ you call softly to him, pointing at an old school vintage arcade console. He moved efficiently, expending the least amount of energy required to move to your side.  _

_ He looked at the game, reviewed the console buttons, and nodded his head.  _ “Sure, Pudding ,we can play this one. I’ll teach you,” _ taking your hands in his over the controls and resting his head on one of your shoulders.  _

_ You felt safety caged in with his chest on your back, soft breaths whisper across your cheek, his hands expertly moving yours. Occasionally, he would ghost your cheek with his lips, a smile always dancing there, hinting at what the day might hold. You leaned your head back onto his shoulder and he nipped your neck.  _ “Pudding, pay attention to the game,” _ he advised.  _ “You might need this information later.”

_ You hummed and smiled to yourself. The warning had been issued and you were planning on completely ignoring it. You decided that you wanted later to be exhilarating and you steeled yourself to not pay attention, to make simple mistakes - a monumental task for you.  _

“Don’t worry, Pudding. I won’t let you fail. But every avoidable mistake you make here, will result in punishments later,”  _ he whispered in your ear, his words dripping with honey and venom. _

“Pay attention, Pudding.”


	20. Karaoke Date (but at home)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some soft SFW drabble with Mirio with a teensy tiny bit of angst

“Hey Sunshine,”  _ Mirio practically shouted in a singsong voice across the house for you. “ _ Let’s do something fun tonight!”

_ You rolled your eyes knowing that his version of fun was probably not going to match up with yours. Still, you had to give him a chance - not everything you tried with him ended up going horribly. Just...most things. But they always fell apart in such a beautiful way and it always ended up being more fun than you thought possible, usually in a different way than you originally thought.  _

_ Walking down the hall towards the living room, he popped his head around the corner, finding your eyes and grinned. You crossed your arms across your chest, leaning against the opposite wall and smirked at his grin.  _ “What kind of trouble are you thinking about pulling me into, my Apollo?”

_ His grin widened and he pulled you into the living room, one arm around your waist and the other expanding in a dramatic flourish to show you the at-home karaoke machine set up in the middle of the room. Your eyes widened, then closed with fingers coming to rub the bridge of your nose.  _ “Mirio. You know how I feel about karaoke, right?,”  _ you muttered, annoyed that this conversation was even happening. _

“Of course, Sunshine,”  _ he beamed brightly. _

“Then…,”  _ you paused, collecting your scattered thoughts.  _ “Then why the setup?”

_ He paused, kissing the top of your head.  _ “I just figured that if you were nervous about going out to karaoke, we could start small and build up to it.”

_ You had to admit, he wasn’t wrong.You disliked your voice, but really hated attention, hated people staring at you. Your brain always went to the worst possible place, thinking that people always judged you. You scoffed and rolled your eyes again, but it was softer this time.  _ “Thank you, Mirio. Just us at first, yeah?,”  _ you asked quietly. _

“Yep, exactly, Sunshine!”,”  _ he nodded his head.  _ “Heck, you can just watch me at first to see how it all works.”

_ You giggled into your hand. You had explained exposure therapy a couple of weeks ago to him and here he was using your own techniques against you. You nodded your assent.  _ “Okay, my Apollo. What do we need for tonight then? Snacks? Drinks?”

_ He smiled brightly, the smile reserved just for you.  _ “Already all set up! Just needed my Sunshine!,”  _ he said, pulling you in for a hug and a peck on the cheek.  _

“C’mon, my little Sunshine. Let me sing for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if this one is rougher than normal. I don't go to karaoke, it's not my favorite, but I really wanted to stretch myself and my writing ability. I know that the only way, for me, to actually build up to going out would be to start at home, so that's why I wrote it this way. :)


	21. Spa/Massage Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just the briefest of drabbles with Shoto Todoroki x Reader who has Chronic Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note these specific TW: Chronic pain, mention of self-harm scars
> 
> I wrote this from something I've recently been experiencing lately and I just wanted some comfort. I hope it's comforting for you, too. <3

_ The smell of jasmine and magnolias with a hint of citrus wafted across the yard, scents reaching out and touching the bottom of your soul, even if they couldn’t soothe your ravaged and aching body. You made your body move, stretched out gingerly, hearing every joint snap, crackle, and pop. Wandering to the front porch, listening to the fountain babble as you urged your muscles forward, your mind entwined itself with the fog that threatened to completely cut you off from reality.  _

“Baby? You’re early. Everything okay?”

_ It was enough to bring you back to your senses, at least for now. You smiled ever so gently, looking over at the kind face with a quirky smile leaning on the front door frame waiting for you. His hair was ruffled as though he hadn’t quite been ready for you, but you appreciated the earthy grit that you saw in that tender face. _

_ Nodding at him, you moved slowly up the front porch and into his sinewy arms. Your body shivered in pain from his touch and, yet, you were so touch-starved that you also craved even the pain. “ _ I’ll be fine now, Shoto. Just everything is too…,”  _ you paused, grasping for the right words. “ _ It’s just too rawr-y out there,”  _ nuzzling your forehead into his chest.  _

_ His breath rushed over you as he chuckled, brushing against your hair giving you a new sensation of pain in your...hair? Great, something else to look into for future you. He paused, catching his breath.  _ “C’mon baby. Why are you trying to hide from me? I can see the pain in your eyes,”  _ he mumbled into the top of your head, breathing in, memorizing your shampoo’s smell.  _

_ You sighed. There was no getting around it, was there - he was just too good at noticing the details and your defenses were significantly lower than usual. “ _ Just a rawr-y day outside and inside. Feels like there’s a war going on inside every nerve,”  _ you mutter into his chest.  _ “Brain is saying some dumb shit, too,”  _ revealing the real reason why you had come by earlier than normal. _

“You just need some reassurance that your brain is being a silly goose and you wanted some comfort?”

_ You nodded again. The briefest movement caused you pain, but you also didn’t trust your voice to not unlock the safety valve on the tears that threatened to spill. He put his hand on your lower back, spreading his fingers wide to avoid your trigger points, guiding you inside and down the darkened hall towards the bedroom.  _ “Shoto, I swear, not today,”  _ you whined. _

“Hush baby. You’re going to lie down. I’m going to be your own personal massage therapist today. And you’re going to relax,”  _ he said firmly, but with a warm fondness. Your nose crinkled at his tone and his deftness in getting you to drop the rest of your defenses.  _

_ His bed was warm and smelled like him. As you curled up in pain, trying to minimize the amount of moving you were doing, you felt a comforting warmth at your back. You turn your head, looking behind you, trying to see what he was doing.  _ “Promise, baby. It’s just a little warmth to help your muscles relax,”  _ he whispered into your ear.  _ “Let me do this for you.” 

_ You whimpered as he started touching your skin, nerves assuring you that you were suddenly under assault. There was an icy shiver that went up your spine to confuse your nerves and freeze out the continued battles. The shiver was pain, but the warmth was already there, comforting your battle-worn nerves. Each pass of his hands over your skin, allowed your muscles to relax just a little deeper, have you sink just a little bit lower, bliss replacing the most painful sensations of each body part.  _

_ It wasn’t much, but it took the edge off. Enough that you could potentially sleep some before the dinner he made. He kissed the back of your head as you moved to get more comfortable, reaching out your scar-covered arm towards him.  _ “Shoto, stay for just a little. Please,”  _ you mumbled into the pillow. _

_ He gave a half-hearted mock sigh and sat next to you in the bed, running his fingers through your hair and gently massaging your scalp.  _ “I guess I could stay a little longer, just for you, baby.”


	22. Mini Golf Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bakugo Katsuki x Reader

“Hey, dumbass. You paying attention?”

_ His gruff voice pulled you out of your indecisive thinking. You looked over at your angry dandelion and giggled. His eyes narrowed and he harrumphed, turning back to the counter asking for two sets of mini-golf clubs and balls for the course you were going to take. _

_ He stomped over to you, giving you one of the sets, grabbing your other free arm and guided you towards the first mini-golf hole that you were playing.  _ “Dumbass, you are so oblivious,”  _ he grumbled. _

“Didn’t even notice those extras ogling you.”

_ You looked at him with amusement in your crisp eyes, his red ones staring back at you in frustration.  _ “No, Katsuki. I saw them. I was ignoring them,”  _ you grinned, knowing that this was getting under his skin.  _ “Let them watch. Not like they’re getting anywhere near me.”

_ He growled, rolling his eyes. You giggled again at his expression, sensing his irritation which just tempted more you to push his buttons.You gave him a peck on the cheek and leaned into his side.  _ “Tch, dumbass. Best believe I wouldn’t let them anywhere within 6 feet minimum of you. I really should be punishing them for even looking at you, but you really wanted to play this damn game,”  _ he muttered, sulking.  _ “It’s your turn, dumbass. Play the game.”

_ You affectionately rubbed his hair, his hair soft and cool in your hands despite looking like the spines of a porcupine. Setting your ball down and lining up your shot, you take a deep breath and gently swing your club. Seeing where the ball ended up put a smile on your face and you turned to Katsuki.  _ “Look at where it landed! I am already on fire!,”  _ you squealed with excitement.  _

_ His face was turned up into a proud grin. “ _ Yeah, yeah, dumbass. You’re on fire. Just the way I like it,”  _ he congratulated mockingly.  _ “This is just the first hole, though. Let’s keep moving.”

_ By the end of the course, you were definitely not winning. Your depth perception sucked, but you also weren’t trying very hard. He chuckled, low in his chest, right next to your ear.  _ “Damn, dumbass. It’s almost as if you were trying to lose. I know you wouldn’t have lost any other way. Did those extras get under your skin?,”  _ he purred into your neck, kissing at your pulse point, the blush crawling up your face. _

“Tch, hell no, Kats,”  _ you mumbled, looking away from his delighted ruby eyes. _

_ His hands dropped from your waist to grab your club, his eyes glinting, and he walked back to drop the sets back off. When he twined his way back to you around the others standing around, you had been pushed into a corner. He growled at the people around you, his hands in his pocket.  _ “Dumbass, the extras bothering you?”

_ You nodded, almost imperceptibly and he reached for your hand, pulling you into him.  _ “You sure you’re able to ignore these extras, dumbass?”

_ You giggled again, earning an annoyed growl from him. “ _ Of course, Kats,”  _ you teased, a grin spreading on your face. _

“Not like I would want to be around anyone other than my angry dandelion.”


	23. Dance Lesson Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll need to listen to this song to get a better understanding of the snip!
> 
> "Ritual" by Tiesto, Jonas Blue, and Rita Ora  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ontU9cOg354

_ The threat was there, so obviously you had to rise and exceed the expectations of Dabi’s bet. Ever since he had seen you at your dance class, choreographing and teaching, he had issued a challenge: choreograph and teach him something or he would have complete control for a week. You kept the song quiet at home and spent an entire month choreographing something that he would be able to do with his two left feet, as he claimed. Finally,  _ **_finally_ ** _ , you texted him: _

Come to the classroom. Friday, 7pm. Wear clothes you can move around in.

_ You had booked the classroom for the entire night and had just finished setting up the class and the music for the warm up before you revealed his song, the one that was constantly running through your head. The dark chuckle at the classroom door pierced you and turned towards it.  _

“Well, Little Mouse. I’m here.”

_ You mumbled something about him being silent as the grave and not to scare you like that and rose to your feet, notebook with what looked like gibberish and chicken scratch in hand. He cocked his head curiously at the notebook since it was such a departure from your near-calligraphic handwriting.  _ “It’s just my notes for tonight,”  _ you said, waving off his confusion.  _

_ You took him through your warm up, not too long, but still peeling layers of clothes off as different muscle groups awakened, brimming with barely contained energy. He watched with awe, and a small amount of pride, the push and the pull, the push and the pull, the power that you had in your body. _

_ Before the song you had chosen started, you handed him a piece of paper with the lyrics broken down.  _ “In case you wanted to take notes while we’re going,”  _ you muttered, still slightly embarrassed to be doing something like this.  _

_ He glanced at the title of the song.  _ “Really, Mouse? You’re going to sacrifice me in a ritual?,” _ he teased, looking at you with a smile.  _

_ You just nodded, already lost in the music that played in your head.  _ “Dabi, let me run it through for you once so you can see what it’s gonna look like. Then we’ll take it from the top.” _ He nodded, stepping back so that you had full use of the space. The first two sets of 8 counts were still, then the movement slowly started building with each pass of another 8 count. The chorus swelled and your movements turned directly to him: _

And I'm always singing it like a prayer

Oh, when you touch me there

Oh, you'll always be my ritual

Always, love you all through the night and

Be there when the sun is rising

Oh, you'll always be my ritual

_ Those five sets of eight were completely focused on him, making sure that his cerulean blue eyes followed your every movement. His foot started to tap impatiently, watching the fluidity, the grace, the fire that you usually hid away behind a shell of clumsiness. _

_ You beckoned him, grinning, with the bridge: _

So come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, babe

So come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, babe

_ This was your element, your choice of battleground and you were going to win. He was grinning though. As the song ended, he ran his eyes over you, watching you breathe heavily, muscles quivering with excitement and anticipation. Your eyes were slowly coming into focus after having been lost in the smoke of the metaphorical fire.  _

“Little Mouse,” _ he purred in your ear,  _ “You did this on purpose, didn’t you?”

_ You nodded, flushed with the exertion and the exhilaration of showing him something you created especially for him.  _ “All art has meaning, Dabi. This is just an extension of that,” _ you muttered matter-of-factly. _

“This also runs through my head every single time I think of you,” _ you whisper, flushing a deeper crimson and turning to restart the music.  _ “Let me show you,”  _ you softly finished. _

_ He grabbed your wrist and you turned to glance back at him.  _ “You win, Mouse. Just put the song on repeat. Be my ritual, won’t ya?”


	24. Ice Cream Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Osamu Dazai x Reader going through an ice cream tour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mentions of suicide/suicidal ideation
> 
> Look, it's Osamu Dazai, there has to be a mention of it. xD

_ You stared again at the text message you got from your curious, oftentimes ridiculous, boyfriend, sighing audibly. _

Come to the Ice Cream Factory - 12:30pm. Dress comfortably! <3

_ You sighed again and gently tossed your phone to the side, flopping backwards into the back of your chair. You had a stack of paperwork that you were trying to finish on the weekend. It wasn’t the greatest choice, but you didn’t have any other options. And here he was, trying to drag you out of the house. It was the heart at the end that really rubbed the salt into your heart. You really wanted to see him. Third time sighing, the decision already made - you would go to the damn factory and see what game he was playing now.  _

_ You were walking to the factory when you felt those long arms wrapped around your waist, his face nuzzling into your neck. When you leaned back into his chest, you caught the smell of oranges and spice and smiled to yourself.  _ “Moonflower, what I have told you about letting your guard down?,”  _ he murmured in your ear. _

“What do you take me for, Osamu? A fool? Even you can’t hide your scent from me,”  _ you whispered sweetly with just a hint of bite, a smile playing at your lips. _

_ He chuckled deep in his chest, pressing his lips against your pulse point.  _ “That’s my Moonflower,”  _ he tenderly praised, which earned him both a groan and a blush from you.  _

“What? I can’t say something nice?”

_You rolled your eyes and extricated yourself from his long arms to face him in front of the factory._ “Alright, Osamu. What’s going on here? What do you need me for?,” _you asked,_ _ignoring his last comment entirely._

_ Instead of answering your question, he turned to walk into the building, beckoning for you to follow him. You sighed, questioning how many more times you were going to do that today, and followed him into the building. When you entered the doors, his eyes were excitedly following another person’s movements.  _ “That’s the Tour Guide, Moonflower. We’re going on a tour and then we get a treat at the end of the tour,”  _ he quietly beamed as you came up behind him. The smells of the different ingredients, the oil of the machinery, the metal, the sweat - everything crashed into what seemed to be a disjointed orchestra in your head.  _

_ You shook your head and closed your eyes to try and focus on the words that the Tour Guide was saying, not noticing another pair of rich chocolate eyes watched from the wings. Unconsciously, you stepped closer to him, perhaps in part to a twinge of hope that he would do something, anything, to bring you back down to this reality.  _

“Hey, Moonflower. Come here,”  _ he offered softly, stretching out his hand and pulling your back into his chest. Blanketed in his scent, everything else fell to a dull ache, grounding you as you felt his head on the top of yours. His unwavering excitement was contagious and, now that you could actually pay attention, fed your curiosity and excitement.  _

_ You sighed, what number was this one?, but this time in contentment.  _ “Thank you, Osamu,”  _ you whispered breathlessly into the protective sphere that you both had created. He smiled knowingly and hummed his acknowledgment.  _

“What kind of ice cream are you going to request? I want mine to be able to cover the special poison that we’ll be adding to it,”  _ he purred, a glint in his eye that watched your reactions. _

_ You giggled at that, knowing that he would have been serious in the past.  _ “I have a better idea. One that will make for a clean, good, death instead,”  _ silently chuckling at his surprised expression. You knew he hadn’t been serious about trying anything for a long time, but this playful banter helped express some of the deeper hidden feelings and emotions. _

_ He nipped at your ear, recovering quickly from his surprise.  _ “Oh, Moonflower, I want to hear your idea so badly,”  _ he suggested, straightening his back quickly, a thoughtful expression on his face. _

“What are you plotting, Osamu?,”  _ you asked, concern filling your voice. A kind but wicked smile was slowly spreading across his face. _

“We’re going to need more ice cream, Moonflower. More than the samples they’ll be giving out,”  _ he bubbled, overflowing with a wicked excitement. He leaned over you and kissed the tip of your nose. _

“Thank you, my Moonflower. You’ve given me such a good idea today. We should hurry home to test it out.”


	25. Bowling Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Koshi Sugawara x Reader go bowling

_ The dimmed lights in the bowling alley had you wondering what you would be able to accomplish with your eyesight as bad as it was. Walking through the darkened hall, you scrolled lazily through your phone, trying to figure out where you were meeting Sugawara. It was eerily quiet and while it appeared you weren’t paying attention to your surroundings, you absolutely were keeping track of the area in your periphery.  _

_ The smell of old soda, leather, and stale popcorn followed you in the twisted maze towards the flickering and glowing lights of the arcade and, eventually, the lanes. Your phone screen made your face glow in the darkness, but you barely flinched when your boyfriend came up next to you asking,  _ “Hey Sugar, whatcha looking at?”

_ You showed him the webpage that you had been scrolling through.  _ “Took you long enough to find me, Koshi. Did you bring me coffee?,”  _ you absent-mindedly asked while you were locking and putting away your phone. _

“So, I know I said I would bring you coffee, but I don’t have it with me,” _ he clarified. When he saw that your eyebrow was raised, he lifted his hands in mock surrender.  _ “I have it over at the lane where we’re set up for a friendly game between the two of us, Sugarl.” 

_ You rolled your eyes in exasperation.  _ “Coffee, Koshi. I need coffee. Then we can play whatever exciting game you want.”  _ His eyes lit up like a puppy who had been told he was the best boy. You could never stay annoyed with him when he was like that.  _

_ He put his hand on the small of your back to guide you to the lane you would be using. You weren’t the biggest fan of bowling, but in an equivalent exchange, Sugawara chose this as your date option, while you were still planning what you wanted to do. He had already gotten you a pair of shoes and the bowling ball. And a steaming cup of coffee was waiting for you near the seats at the lane, just for you.  _

“Coffee as promised, Sugar. Mind if I set up the first game?,”  _ Sugawara asked, offering you a seat at the table with the coffee.  _ “Just a practice round, you know. No big deal.”

_ You waved him off, finally being able to partake of the delicious substance that was fueling your brain cells.  _ “That’s fine Koshi. We don’t need to get serious until the caffeine has fully taken effect.”

_ He smirked, knowing just how much you enjoyed your coffee and that it would take at least this first round to wake you up. This was a nice change of pace for both of you, since you both were always so busy at work and hardly had any time to spend together.  _

_ Once you finished your coffee, the game was ready to go. You stretched lazily while you were standing up, getting your stiff joints moving again. The first round seemed to go by too fast and soon enough three or four rounds (you had honestly lost count) had been played through before a second glance at the clock had been taken. It seemed like it had only been a short while since you started playing, but the clock said that you had been playing for close to two hours.  _

“Koshi, do you want to call it and get some food?,”  _ you asked quietly.  _

_ The end of the date was coming up, if only because food meant that you both would be going home soon. This was the hardest part for the both of you.  _ “If you’re hungry, Sugar, then yeah, we should eat,”  _ he replied in the same loving tone that he always had with you with the same genuine smile he reserved just for you. He might be really competitive, but with you, it was just different. _

_ You went turned in the shoes as Sugawara turned in the bowling balls. Meeting up outside of the lanes, you both walked out the maze of halls to the outside world to find some food. The discussions were, as usual, lively and thought-provoking. When you finally found some food, you were comfortably sitting, eating in silence for a bit.  _

“Sugar, do you want to move in with me?"

_ The question hung over the table like a dense fog. You almost choked on the bite that you had been chewing.  _ “Wait. Koshi. Are you serious?,”  _ you asked, thinking that you might have heard incorrectly.  _

“I’m super serious, Sugar. I’m tired of constantly feeling like our time is too short when we’re together. I just want to bypass all of those feelings and see you all the time,”  _ he explained confidently. _

_ You leaned back into the booth at the table. You were surprised that the question had been asked, even though you were hopeful that it would be at some point in the near-future.  _ “You know, Koshi, I’ve been thinking of moving when my lease is up next month. What do you think about that?,”  _ you insinuated with a smirk playing at the corners of your mouth. _

“I think that’s such a wonderful coincidence, Sugar. Please say you’ll stay,”  _ he gently requested. _

_ You made a mocking show of thinking it over.  _ “I think it’s such a good idea, I’d be happy to start moving stuff over sooner rather than later,”  _ you said, nodding your head.  _

“Sounds like a plan to me, Sugar,” he beamed brightly.


	26. Double Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroo x Reader, double date with unknown bff/partner at a blues concert in the park

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly self-indulgent soft fluff, no TW/CW. Sorry that this one isn't as fantastic as some of the others, but I just really enjoyed describing a free concert type thing in the park.

_ You showed up to the park where the free blues concert was going to be held and where you were meeting up with your boyfriend and your best friend and their partner. You all were planning on having a bit of a picnic and maybe drink some fizzy apple cider. You knew the park and where everything would be set up, so you were willing to get there early to grab a spot.  _

“Chibi-chan, this seems like it has a fantastic view of the stage,”  _ Kuroo purred in your ear, causing you to jump and him to start wheezing like a hyena.  _

_ You swatted at him, pouting in annoyance.  _ “Obviously it has a fantastic view. Why do you think I got here early?”

_ He had finally calmed down enough from surprising you to give you a more coherent answer.  _ “I figured it was why you were coming early. And I got off work a little early, so I also figured that I could come and bother you,”  _ he offered as an explanation for why he was at the park early.  _

_ You offered him a seat and a water bottle.  _ “BFF and their partner should be here soon,” _ you mentioned as the band started to take their places on the stage.  _ “Once they get here, we can pop out the food.”

_ You felt a tap on the shoulder as you finished saying that, causing your second fright of the night and the following howls of laughter from Kuroo. You smacked him in the shoulder, turning and seeing your friend also doubled over in silent laughter. You begged for support from her boyfriend, but found none. Pouting, you put your chin in your hands, turning back to the stage. You listened, instead, to the lilting sounds of the saxophonist, the deep bass that thrummed the heartbeat of each song, and the voice that traced the melody the guitarist plotted out.  _

_ Your friend and their partner finally sat down, finally having calmed her laughter, pulling out the food and the apple cider, knowing that she had lost you to the music. Instead, she talked freely with Kuroo, making polite conversation until the song ended. Kuroo brushed his lips on your shoulder, sending more goosebumps across your skin and down your spine, pulling you back down to the present.  _

“Chibi-chan, you should eat something,”  _ he recommended as he shoved a plate of food in your hands. Nodding, you took it, grateful that he was watching out for you right now. You were back in the conversation with the other three. Mostly small talk about work or little things to pass the time, while the bass tried to lure you back into the music.  _

_ It was wasted effort to pay attention to the conversation when the music was so inviting. Kuroo pulled you closer to him so that you could lean on his shoulder instead of leaning over which would cause you to just hurt yourself. “ _ Chibi-Chan, just listen to the music. We’re all good here,”  _ he murmured into the top of your head. Your friend had already planned on the night being quiet because, as lively as you were normally, the live music atmosphere always pulled you into the music. And even though this was a “double date,” it was really about just vibing together. _

_ Unfortunately, like all good things, the music came to an end. The stiffening of your vertebrae joints proved that you had sat without moving for too long. Kuroo’s hand was grazing your skin, offering some comfort, warmth, and movement for your sore muscles. You looked over apologetically to your friend, who waved off your concern.  _ “Please, don’t stress over us. It was such a fantastic night even if all we did was listen to the Blues and watch the stars,”  _ they offered.  _

_ You looked up at Kuroo, his grin spreading across his lips.  _ “Let’s pack up, Chibi-Chan. I’ll get you home tonight,”  _ in response to your unspoken apologies, brushing them all aside.  _

“The most important thing,” _ he whispered in your ear, kissing your forehead,  _ “is that you know just how much I love you and how grateful I am that you’re here.”


	27. Paint N Sip Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chuuya Nakahara x Reader go to a Paint N Sip Night

“What in the hell did you say, Lamb?”

_ He looked annoyed and a little suspicious, but that was generally his face. You rolled your eyes and repeated, “ _ We’re still on for our date tonight at the Paint n Sip place, right?”

_ He looked at you as though you had two heads. It was times like these that you just wanted to throttle his neck with love.  _ “Oh, I remember the date tonight, Lamb. Just what the hell are you saying we’re doing is what I’m asking,” _ he questioned, a hint of an edge in his voice. _

_ You giggled at his expression. This was a change from the “normal” dates you usually went on, but you had been planning this for a couple of months.  _ “Chuuya. Chu, remember? I told you about this awhile ago? We go and drink wine and paint,”  _ you reminded him gently. _

“Right. I heard wine and forgot about the rest,”  _ he muttered, half to himself and half to you. He glanced at you, leaning on the doorframe to his home office, dressed and ready to go.  _

_ You harrumphed and turned to walk out the door.  _ “Chu, I’m going to go even if you don’t. Who knows - I might meet someone else cuter than you,”  _ you teased, finding that you couldn’t move your feet.  _

“Ain’t nobody cuter than me, Lamb. Say that again and you won’t move from this spot,”  _ he whispered threateningly into your neck, nipping at your pulse point.  _

_ You leaned your neck over, giving him a hint of access to your neck before snapping it back into place.  _ “Chu, please. Let’s just go. I promise, there’ll be wine at the very least,”  _ you smirked, leaning into his chest and looking up into his slate eyes covered in art by his hate. You gave him your best puppy dog eyes, pleading. _

“Fine, let’s go, Little Lamb.”

_ You squealed, grabbing his hand and headed out to the place that was hosting the event. In your excitement, you missed his smirk at your enthusiasm, holding on to his hat. He might give you a hard time, but he did so enjoy seeing you smile.  _

_ The place was quiet, a few couples around, but not too many. It smelled like smoke, acrylic paints, and fresh canvases. The wine bottles were being opened and you grabbed two of the glasses, winding around the tables to the one that Chuuya had claimed. You offered him the glass of wine, watching him appraise the wine’s bouquet and taste it appreciatively.  _ “Like what you see, Lamb?,” _ he smirked over the wine glass, knowing you were watching.  _

“Just appreciating the view, Chu,”  _ you remarked, causing him to sputter and choke on his wine slightly. Usually it was him flustering you and you were surprised that he was actually being flustered by you.  _

_ Turning your attention to the instructor for the night, you sipped at your wine glass, fiddling with the paint and the brushes. The instructor droned on, boring you while trying to explain a painting was simple enough to recreate. Soon enough your wine glass was empty, the heady bouquet quieting the filtered logical side of your brain, expanding the creative parts and allowing you to finish the painting quickly.  _

_ You glanced away from your canvas, trying to plan a route to get both of you another glass of wine. When your focus returned back to what was in front of you, you found that it was a blank canvas and there was another glass of wine in front of you. You looked suspiciously over at Chuuya - you hadn’t seen him move, but his jacket was now draped over the back of the chair, one of his legs folded over the other, sipping at his new glass of wine. _

“Looks like you haven’t done any painting, Lamb. You were the one who wanted to do this and not even completing a painting?,”  _ he teased, winking at you and nodding at his easel which now held your completed painting.  _

_ You growled under your breath at him, muttering something about how he was just there for the wine and set to work on the second painting of the night. Paint ended up on skin and luckily you hadn’t worn anything that couldn’t be washed. The acrid scent of the acrylic paint filled your nose and you sat back, catching your breath, letting your senses relax from their heightened state.  _

_ A new scent filled your mind - hints of the merlot that had been poured all night and crisp cedar combined with the warm sandalwood. He had wrapped his arm around you, pulling you closer into him and his scent fell on you like fresh rain.  _

“Looks like you’ve finished both paintings, Little Lamb,” _ he whispered, peppering your ear with kiss after kiss. A flush started to appear on your cheeks, resembling his sunset colored hair, and you weren’t sure if it was the alcohol or if it was the attention that he was giving you.  _

“Chu, you’re flustering me. Please just scale it back a bit,”  _ you whined at him, trying to lean away only to be met by his sinewy arm capturing you and pulling you back.  _

_ He adjusted his hat, greedily kissing your neck instead, stopping at your pulse point and flicking it gently with his tongue, nuzzling and whispering praises in your neck. _

“Little Lamb, I haven’t even started.”


	28. Proposal...Date?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Osamu Dazai x Reader

_ He had never been one for commitment, saying that it was fluff and pointless. Nothing would change between you two, except for maybe legal quibbles, but that was easily bypassed through other means.  _

_ In light of those feelings, you stopped talking to him about weddings, marriages, anything that had to do with engagements. It only hurt you in the end and, honestly, you were mostly okay without all the fuss and ado. So why was it one afternoon when you saw another engagement picture on your social media, you slammed your laptop closed in frustration, stomping past him out the door? His look of confusion only agitated you more and so you walked. You weren’t even sure where you were wandering to, but as the afternoon continued on, sun slowly drifting below the horizon, your feet also slowly drifted towards an overlook that provided a view of the sea, waves crashing on the rocks below.  _

_ The benefit of being downwind was that you smelled him before you heard or saw him. Oranges and spice carried on the breeze caressed your cheeks, inviting you to look up. He buried his face in your back, wrapping his arms around you, just breathing with you. Your chin sat on your knees, your tear-stained cheeks stung by the chilly air, the warmth at your back comforting and soft. He would let you guide this conversation, lead this dance of words. _

“Osamu, I want to not care. Tell me how to not care,”  _ you whispered, frustrated with yourself and hating your soft heart, tears threatening to ruin the corners of your eyes again.  _

_ His shifting breath was the only warning you got that he moved to your side, facing you, his hands shifting from your core to your hip bone. He regarded you with his deep chocolate eyes, choosing his words carefully.  _ “Tell me, my Moonflower. What is it that’s hurting your heart? I’ll fix whatever it is,”  _ he offered as he kissed the tears on your cheek.  _

_ You actually cackled like a hysterical and frustrated hyena, the tears actually spilling out. How could you explain that he couldn’t fix this?  _ “Dazai. Osamu, my love. You can’t fix this,” _ swatting at the tears spilling over.  _ “You are my universe, my galaxy, every star in the sky and the way I love you hurts. And yet, I’m jealous,”  _ finally recognizing the actual emotion welling up and acknowledging it.  _

“Jealous? Of what?,”  _ he asked, a confused expression playing on his face. He hated seeing you cry, would give anything to see you smile.  _

_ You sighed. Sometimes he really just didn’t get it.  _ “I know you hacked into my laptop already, so you already saw what I slammed it down on. Don’t play with me, Osamu,”  _ you bluntly stated.  _

_ He caressed your cheek, wiping away your tears, his hand tough but soft.  _ “My Moonflower, look at me,”  _ he said so softly, yet so possessively. You turned your head to rest a cheek on your knees and look into his face.  _

“I know why you’re jealous. I see it. And I can’t tell you to stop caring. I refuse. I love your soft heart. It reminds me of my own humanity,”  _ he whispered fiercely, kissing your shoulder, knocking his head gently against yours.  _

“Instead, give me the honor of protecting it. Please.”

_ You hadn’t heard this side of Dazai, not entirely anyway. He was so soft and warm and you melted into him.  _ “Osamu, you know I will always…,” _ you paused as he put a finger to your lips. _

“I wasn’t done, Moonflower,”  _ he argued, challenging you to keep quiet. He rubbed your noses together, nudging your lips with his. He broke from the kiss, you internally whimpering at the rush of cold air, his absence keenly felt.  _

_ Focusing your eyes on his free hand, you saw something small - a ring. An opal and a small gem you couldn’t quite place adorned the top. Your confused eyes met his sparkling ones.  _ “Osamu, you said…,”  _ you quietly tried to force your addled brain to catch up and work, explain what you were seeing. _

“Ah, ah. You only heard part of what I said. I want you to be mine, my Moonflower. And I don’t want there to be any doubts in your head or in anyone else’s head just who you belong to,” _he breathed on your neck._ “So, will you accept this ring? Stay with me? Be mine?,” _he purred,_ _each question punctuated with a feather light kiss on your neck, your pulse point, your ear, beckoning a soft whimper to fall from your lips._

“Yes, Osamu. Only yours,”  _ you breathlessly agreed, his lips continuing to greedily feather over your skin. _

_ He hummed his acknowledgment, a smile gracing his lips, sliding the ring on your finger. He stood, and offered you his hand, tenderly pulling you to him. A smirk turned chaotically wicked grin played on his lips after he stole your breath with another kiss. _

“Let’s go home and I’ll show you exactly what I mean when I say mine, Moonflower.”


End file.
